NINE DECADES OF MUSEUM ACTIVITY

The general look of the county of Hunedoara, from the upper Jiu basin to the White Cris and from the Orastie area to the Zam surroundings distinguishes itself through a harmonious link between the different geographical forms.

The mountain massifs, the hill area and the plain traversed by th waters of the Strei and of the Mures rivers have offered always a lot of possibilities for obtaining the livelihood.  The abundance and the variety of the natural resources have meant for indigenous human society, already from the first stages of its existence, precious material resercves necessary for an uninterupted development of the lcoal human society.

The arcahaeological vestiges discovered in the Hunedoara regions, fortuitous or by systematic archaeolgoical diggings - between which numerous pieces distinguished theirselves through their special artistics features and by their documentary value - have called long time ago a justified and well-deserved attention. The founding of a museum institution meant to deposit, to maintian and to capitalize this treasure, product of the human activity during the centuries, has become necessity. From the initiative of the "History and Archaeology Society of the Hunedoara county", founded 1880, there has been constituted in Deav, two yeas later, an antiquities collection. In his activity, the "History and Arachaeolgoy Society" received the support of the escellent Transilvanean scholar George Baritiu, who sustains, with money and book donations, the activity of the Deva servant group of the muse Clio. Parallel with the founding of the antiquities collection there have been built also collections of ethnographical pieces, of minerology, of paleontology and ornithology. Initially, the museum collections have been deposited in a private home. Starting with the year 1890, they have been arranged in six classes of the Deva School of Exact Sciences.

In the following decades, the archaeological profile of the collection became overwhelming. By donations, acquisitions and ground researchings, the arcaheolgical collection of the museum has increased continuous, so that, at the beginning of the 20th century it miposed itself to the attention of the public by its historical-archaeolgical, scientifical and museistical value.

In the same time with the activity of the tracing and collectioning of the antique traces of material culture, where a special weight have the scultural and epigraphical Roman monuments, there have been set also the bases of the scientifical research activity, materialised in the publishing of a series of studies with arcaheolgical and ethnological themes in the year-book of the "History and Archaeolgical Society".

After the Union of Transilvania with Romania, 1918, the museum collections have passed in state patrimony. For the depositing in good conditions and for the presenting of its exhibits, the museum receives new, wider headquarters of the Trade Union Club.

Between the two World Wars, with all the difficulties and material needs which the instittuion was passing through, there has existed a sustained concern for the archaaeological investigations. In the same time period is also placed the appearance of the four volumes of the year-book of the Deva Museum, "Publications of the Museum of the Hunedoara County" (1924-1929).

The museum extended the acvitiy of archaeological research and scientific value of new discoveries when the museum was managed by Octavian Floca. The archaeological diggings, made together with the Institute of Classic Studied from Cluj, in the area of Dacian fortresses from Orastiei Mountains, Sarmizegetusa, Ulpia Traiana-Sarmizegetusa and Micia (Vetel) led to a substantial enrichment of the arachaeolgoical fund of the museum for the Dacian and Roman ages.  By the passion and efforts of the new manager, although he had a reduced personnel and modest financial means, it can be passed to the organisation of the permanent exhbition based upon strictly scientific criteria.  Once with the arrangment of the museum in the Magna Curia castle (1938), architecture monument from the first half of the 17th century, it was ended the travelling of the collections through different buildings from the city.  The scientific activity carried out by the archaeolgist from Deva city is relevant also by the the two volumes of the museum's year book, Sargetia (vol. I - 1937, vol. II - 1940), symbolically entitled, with the ancient name of the river in which riverbed Decebal hid his famous treasures.

The scientific and museological activity from the Museum of Hunedoara coounty added new valences after August 23, 1944.  By the care and the permanent support of the party and state bodies, the museums extended and its activity varies. The permanent museum exhibition, organised based upon the materialist historical science, becaomes a useful and efficient way of the ideological educatino of masses.

In short time it was resumed the publication of the museum's year book that, starting from 1956 appeared frequently, and today it has the 9th volume.  By the exchange of publications with the museums and research institutes from the country, and also with over 150 institutions of same profile from 28 countries around the world, the fame of the institution grew and its documentary and information fund was enriched.

The continous growth of the volume of archaeological materials, especially for the Dacian and Roman ages, by the researches made in the area of the Dacian fortresses from Orastiei Mountains, at Banita, Cozia, Cimpuri - Surduc, in the Roman settlements from Micia (Vetel), Deva, Strei, just to mentino some of them, allowed the organization of some permanent exhibitions based upon the archaeological vestiges from the mentioned historical levels. On November 22, 1970, in  modern layout, it was place at the visitors' disposal the new arcahaeological exhibition of which theme emphasizes the stages of the human society evolution from its appearance at Hunedoara lands until the beginning of the christalization of Romanian feudal states.  By its different content, the exhibition shows the advanced level of the Dacian culture, the strong root of Romans in these places, and also the traces, more numerous, that prove the presence of the autochtonous population on the territory of Dacia after year 271 B.C.

On the whole territory of Hunedoara county, there were discovered during the years, by systematic arachaeological reseraches or acidentally, traces of the human live that belonged to the ancient historical ages.  Gaterhed with minuteness, these precious relics are kept in the collectinos of the Hunedoara-Deva County Museum.

The ancient age of stone (the Paleolithic) is illustrated by the discoveries made in the caves from Cioclovina, Ohaba-Ponor, Nandru, Federi and in the terrace settlements from the Pravaleni and Basarabasa.  The material traces discovered, composed of tools carved from silex and human and animal osteological traces, are over 150,000 years old, that chronologically correstpond with the period of the middle paleolithic. A various number of archaeolgical vestiges belonging to the new stone epoch, confirms the existance of numerous human places, placed especially on the Mures and the Siret valleys.

Aong these places, Turasul, the eponimic station of the neolithical culture with the most extended area is firstly situated.

Material traces - belonging to the same epoch have been doscivered in Ardeu, Bacsa, Bacia, Bos, Bretea Romana, Carjiti, Cracuinesti, Densus, Godinesti, Dava, Miritia, Preicoz, Zlasti.  Those represent testimonies of social and economical life present int hose places in the polished stone epoch.

The development of himan-society - under the influence of the discovery of metal (firstly of copper and second bronze) is confirmed by the presence of the archaeological pices which, in some cases, exceeded by their documentary importance and value the district area.

The rod-necklasces of copper from Deva and Micenian sword from Boiu, exhibits with  a special archaeolgoical importance, represents the pireces which pprecede a more diversified group of discoveries.

The deposits of bronze materials discovered fortuitous, at Petrosari, Deva, Cherghes, Densus, Martinesti, Rapolt, Bos, Blandiara, exemplifies, by contrete materials, the intensive economical and social life of the human communities in Hunedoara places in the bronze epoch places in the bronze epoch (hallstatt).

The intensly lived places from Simeria and Deva (Viile Hoi), chronological placed on the first epoch of iron (hallstatt), whose beginnings are due to the west penetration on Mures Valley, belonging to the "Otonari" culture, at the end of Bronze epoch, by means of the vast and rich material they had transmitted, mark on the pages of local history some important signes concerning the population of the area on the centuries bfore the consitution of the Dacian state.

The mine is being certified on Hunedoara territory - as a deeply rooted occupation in the historical past.  The primitives statues which represent protective gods of the mine which carry in their hands the secific work tools - the pick-axe and the sack for the miner transport, discovered at Baie de Cris - are certain speaking proofs on that case.

The historical period in which the local community interfere with the population which had a developed iron culture is illustrated through scythianic vestiges discovered at Simeria, Deva, Balata and celtic materials from Balata - Soimus.

The archaeological Dacian traces discovered on Hunedoara area are numerous and they had an inestimable historical value.

The collection from Deva Museum enriched itself through the excavation campanes which have taken place in the last decade with materials belonging to the most florishing epoch of the economical, social-political and cultural Dacian-Getic society (Century 1 BC - Century 1 AD).

In addition to the archaeological base realised through complete research of the Dacian fortresses near Sarmizegetusa Regia (Gradistea Mureculiu), have been obtained materials and pieces that have an inestimable documentary-numismatic value from the Dacian fortress from Barite, from the fortified centre of Carupuri-Surduc and from the Dacian settlement differing sizes of the Patra Coziei hill, situated near D_____

The patrimony of the arachaeolgical Dacian exhibits kept in the museum, has known substantial addings also by some fortunate discoveries.

The silver ornament treasure, belonging to Sarascau, together with the monetary treasure compounded by silver coins - called "Hunedoara coins" - discovered at Bozes, Salajul de Sus and Radulesti are some of the most concrete examples.

The richness and the diversity of the Dacian vestiges of Hunedoara region (either belonging to the systematical arachaeological excavation or to occasional discoveries), it underlines the special historical importance of those places.

They are faithfully reflecting the unchallenged reality: the existance on the south of "Orastie" mountains of a nucleus of Dacian fortresses which have known an extraordinary inflorishing in the countries dominated by the fascinating presence of Burebista and Decbal.

The instauration of the Roman domination in one of the most part of Dacian territory, resulting in the defeating of military resistance of the natives in 106 year, meant for those lands (regions), the passing to a new stage of evolution.

The building of the Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa lead to a wholly new flourishing economical and social life, having a strong romanic influence.

The settlements built near the military camps Micia (Vetele) and Gaermisarea (Geoagiu) reached almost an urban level.

The same flourishing development occurred in the ancient region Aque (Calan), built near some thermal spring waters from the Strei Valley. 

Besides those centres (which have provided archaeological material for such a great importance), the rustic medium is as well rich in antique traces.

Hobita, Cincis, Deva, Minerau, Fizes, Urio and Strei are only a few of the Hunedoara regions in which have been discovered through systematical archaeolgoical excavations, the buildings of some Romanal rural places.

It's remarkable the fact that in some of the researched rustic places, some objects and earthen pots have been found which are specific to the native Dacian population.

The excavations made in the necropolis from the Roman epoch in Cincis, in the Roman agriculural comlex, recently identified in Deva territory and also, in the vast Roman region from Vetel (Micia), had permited to be surprised, in relation with Roman objects, most of the statements belonging to the native Dacian people, fact that proves its life together witht eh Roman element in all those 165 years of Roman domination in Dacia.

The Roman authorities retreat from Dacia from the year 271 - as the archaeolgoical traces denotes from the Hunedoara region - it did not represent a total and definitive (irrevocable) depopulation of those places.

Together with other material proofs for the continuity of the economical and social life after 271, the archaeolgical vestiges discovered in the territory of Hunedoara, represents a precious and a substantial contribution to the confirmation of the persistence of the native population, Sarmizegetusa, the former metropolis of Dacia, Vetel, Hunedoara, Cugir, Turdas, Aurel Vlaicu, Boholt, Valea Nandrului, Dobra, Fizes, Salas, Pasul Vilcan and federi are regions which had supplied ceramics materials, numismatic pieces subsequent tot he 3rd century AD, testimonies which prove the presence of the Daco-Roman population over the whole region of this district.

The archaeolgical reseraches that have been recently made at Deva, Strei and Simeria for the museum's inverstiator (researcher), discovered new material traces which confirm the massive present of the native population in those places in the 4th to 11th centuries.

Those material proofs testify to the existence of many more settlements of Romanized locals, which constituted the nucleus from which the Romanian people and Romanian language had been formed.